[Wtpooh]

My 2 girls are mostly litter box trained with their poops. I only find about 10 or 12 poops a week in the cage outside of the litter box. Some weeks I find none. They also pee in the box frequently. I have the corner style plastic box with the grate that covers the litter. I use critter litter or paper litter, the kind that looks like little rolled pieces of paper. How often would you suggest emptying the litter box? Currently, I go five days and that litter will knock you down with the smell! What do y'all do? How often do you clean the litter box?

 

[cirice]

Well, my girls stop pooping in it whenever it gets too dirty for them (every 4-6 days) so I usually clean it every 4-6 days, or whenever I see a poop outside of the pan (since they're entirely litter trained). I clean the grate like once every 2 weeks though ;D

The actual pan gets scrubbed every time I clean the cage out, but in-between, it's just replacing the litter.

 

[Isamurat]

The problem with the grate type boxes is they don't allow the rats to walk / dig / disturb the litter. This means that the stuff doesn't get cycled around so much so it smells faster (as its all in the top layer, not the bottom). I'd try taking the grate off for a period of time and see if this helps.

For comparison, I've got a few litter boxes in my cage (savic royal suite - think DCN), for a group of around 6 rats. They use one heavily (cat litter box style), if I don't manage to clean out before (pretty rate) it is usually noticeable in the cage after 3 weeks but doesn't absolutely reek, however when I empty it out the bottom layer is very smelly which is where all the urine ends up. I use paper cat litter, sometimes with a bit of hemp on the bottom, my guys are very good at using there's.

 

[Wtpooh]

Hmmm, I think I'll try removing the grate. Do you ever have a problem with them digging in the litter or removing the litter?

 

[Isamurat]

mine dig in it a bit and shuffle it around, they don't tend to really dig it out, but then mine have a cage full of other substrate to dig in. Digging is very much a natural behaviour so if theres no where else for them to dig then you should give them a digging box at minimum and that may help

 

[Tiwohunter]

I clean the litter box in the cage every three days. I only put a cup or so of litter in it so I don't feel it's being wasted. Although after three days the gents will begin leaving presents in the cage so it was more their ultimatum than my decision. Either way we go with three days.

 

[cirice]

I've never had any problem with a grate. I've had my current litter box for about 10 months, and the grate on for 5 or so months. I've noticed no change in how much they smell, though, and my rat cage is pretty much right next to my bed. I have a dig box in their cage with strips of fleece and some nuts and Cheerios, but they rarely use it. I guess it really depends on what rats you have and what litter you use.

Carefresh bedding (not litter, bedding) was PERFECT for my litter box, I could have left the litter in there for weeks and not have gotten a smell (but of course I wouldn't leave it for weeks). Right now I'm using shredded paper (apparently carefresh added bicarb soda to their bedding which I don't think is safe) and it gets smelly after 5 days, no matter how much the litter is shaken about. The paper gets soggy instead of absorbing the urine, as well.